UC-NRLF 


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iiiiii'i:'i;iu:i:iM),| 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  20Q7  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/charlesltiffanyhOOtiffrich 


Tiffany  &  Co. 

Union  Square,  New-York. 
1893. 


US'iTS 


In  this  brief  sketch  of  Mr.  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  and 
of  the  house  which  he  foimded  and  still  directs ,  the  days 
of  earlier  New-York,  for  half  a  century  past,  are  briefly 
traced,  and  events  in  the  history  of  the  tiatiofi  are  inci- 
dentally noted. 

The  house  of  Tiffatiy  &^  Co.  occupies  a  unique  position 
in  its  relation  to  the  development  of  the  fine  arts  and 
beautiful  creations  of  our  natioti  and  century.  The 
inseparable  ties  that  associate  it  with  the  growth  of  the 
country,  and  the  interest  manifested  in  its  early  history 
and  in  the  various  stages  of  its  career,  are  such  that 
the  following  pages  have  been  written  in  deference  to 
the  wish  of  many  old  friends  and  patrons  of  the  house 
for  an  authentic  review. 

The  writer  hopes  that  he  has  gathered  from  an  ex- 
tensive mass  of  material  fnatiy  things  of  sufficient  inter- 
est to  reward  the  reader  for  the  time  spoil  in  the  perusal 

of  these  pages. 

GEORGE  FREDERIC  HEYDT. 


ivi358806 


PAGE 

Charles  L.  Tiffany  at  8i  ;  from  a  photograph  by 
Pach  of  New- York,  taken  March  3,  1893   6 

Tiffany  &  Young,  259  Broadway,  corner  Warren 
Street,  New- York;  from  an  old  print  of  the  original 
store  in  1837     lO 

Charles  L.  Tiffany  at  28 ;  from  a  painting  by  Wil- 
liam Henry  Powell,  made  in  1840,  and  called  by  Mrs. 
C.  L.  Tiffany  and  Mr.  Tiffany's  mother  an  excellent 
likeness 12 

Tiffany,  Young  &  Ellis,  271  Broadway,  corner 
Chambers  Street,  New- York ;  from  an  old  print  show- 
ing the  next  stage  of  development  and  removal  in  1847     16 

Charles  L.  Tiffany  at  41 ;  from  a  photograph  taken 
in  1853  20 

Tiffany  &  Co.,  550  Broadway,  New-York,  showing  deco- 
rations and  illumination  during  the  telegraphic  jubilee, 
September  i,  1858;  from  "Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated 
Newspaper,"  September  11,  1858 22 

Tiffany  &  Co.,  Union  Square,  New-York,  present 
location  of  salesrooms  and  general  business 29 

Tiffany  &  Co.,  Forest  Hill,  Newark,  N.  J.  New  works 
of  the  Electro-silver-plated  Ware  Factory 31 

The  Tiffany  Pavilion  in  the  Facade  of  the  United 
States  Section,  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Build- 
ing, at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  Chicago, 
1893 34 


P  I  Charles  Lewis  Tiffany,  founder  of  the 

UeneaiOgy.  ^^^^^  ^^  Tiffany  &  Co.,  is  a  descendant,  in 
the  sixth  generation,  of  Squire  Humphrey  Tiffany  of  England. 
His  great-great-grandfather,  great-grandfather,  and  grand- 
father were  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Squire  Humphrey 
Tiffany,  the  original  ancestor,  was  killed  by  a  stroke  of  light- 
ning on  July  15,  1685,  while  on  the  road  to  Boston.  Comfort 
Tiffany,  the  father  of  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  was  born  in  Attle- 
boro,  Mass.,  and,  after  marrying  Chloe  Draper,  daughter  of 
Isaac  Draper  of  that  town,  he  removed  to  Danielsonville, 
Windham  County,  Conn.,  where  he  embarked  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cotton  goods. 

Comfort  Tiffany  established  his  home  on  the  Killingly 
side  of  the  Quinebaug  River,  and  here  on  February  15, 
1812,  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  the  eldest  son,  was  born. 


Early  School=Days, 


The  boy  was  brought  up  in  the 
town  of  his  birth,  and  received 
his  primary  education  in  the  "  Httle  red  schoolhouse "  at 
Danielsonville, —  a  typical  New  England  district  school, — 
and  later  spent  two  years  at  the  Plainfield  (Conn.)  Acad- 
emy, about  ten  miles  from  his  home.  This  was  at  that  time 
a  noted  educational  institute,  presided  over  by  John  Witter, 
a  graduate  and  tutor  of  Yale. 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 

While  young  Tiffany  was  at  the  Plainfield  Academy,  his 
father,  Comfort  Tiffany,  who  had  already  been  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods  in  Danielsonville  for 
about  twenty  years,  formed  a  new  company  for  the  same 
purpose.  They  bought  half  of  the  water  privilege  of  the 
Quinebaug  River,  on  the  Brooklyn  side,  and  began  opera- 
tions under  the  name  of  the  "  Brooklyn  Manufacturing  Co." 
While  building  the  new  mill,  Comfort  Tiffany  opened  a 
little  country  store,  and  gave  his  son  Charles,  then  but  fif- 
teen years  old,  full  charge ;  and  in  this  inconspicuous  way 
Charles  L.  Tiffany  made  his  entree  into  the  commercial 
world.  He  kept  the  books  of  the  store,  and  when  the 
business  had  become  firmly  established  he  made  frequent 
trips  to  New-York  for  supplies. 

About  a  year  after  the  opening  of  the  new  mill.  Comfort 
Tiffany  established  his  home  over  on  the  Brooklyn  side  of 
Danielsonville,  and  some  time  later  bought  out  the  interests 
of  his  other  partners  in  the  *'  Brooklyn  Manufacturing  Co.," 
and  operated  the  plant  under  the  name  of  '*C.  Tiffany  & 
Son."  After  the  business  of  the  Httle  country  store  had  de- 
veloped, and  the  elder  Tiffany  had  erected  a  more  commo- 
dious store  for  its  purposes,  the  additional  help  required 
afforded  young  Charles  L.  an  opportunity  to  take  up  his 
studies  again,  and  with  several  short  terms  at  the  Brooklyn 
school  he  finally  finished  his  education. 


o^      m  \9kAn       '^^^  y^^'^  ^^^'^  ^^^  ^^  turning-point  in  his 
^'  T-/"     jjfg^     From  the  little  Connecticut  village  he 

ventured  out  into  the  maelstrom  of  metropolitan  life.  New- 
York  was  then  a  city  of  over  200,000  inhabitants,  and  pro- 
portionately as  crowded  with  business  enterprises  as  it  is 
to-day.  Young  Tiffany's  business  venture  was  not  an  acci- 
dent,—  it  was  born  of  a  deliberate  purpose,  the  result  of  his 
conclusion  that  the  future  of  the  cotton  industry  in  Con- 


House  of  Tiffany  df  Co.  9 

necticut  offered  nothing  to  satisfy  his  ambition.     Hence  he 
determined  to  seek  a  wider  field  of  activity. 

His  neighbor,  friend,  and  schoohnate,  John  B.  Young, 
had  gone  to  New-York  six  months  before  him,  and  was 
employed  in  a  stationery  and  fancy-goods  store.  Mr.  Tif- 
fany followed  early  in  September  of  1837.  New- York  was 
then  in  the  throes  of  perhaps  the  greatest  commercial  crisis 
of  its  history.  Many  well-estabUshed  concerns  were  on  the 
verge  of  ruin.  Mr.  Tiffany's  ambition,  however,  was  not  to 
be  daunted  by  this  grave  state  of  affairs.  He  and  his  former 
schoolmate  went  carefully  over  the  field  together,  and  con- 
cluded to  unite  Mr.  Young's  limited  stock  of  experience 
with  whatever  capital  could  be  advanced  by  Mr.  Tiffany's 
father,  and  to  open  a  fancy-goods  and  stationery  store. 
The  elder  Tiffany  being  appealed  to,  he  consented  to  loan 
the  young  men  a  thousand  dollars,  $500  to  be  assumed  by 
each  partner. 


nusTonx 


Tiffany  &  Young. 


The  young  men  entered  into  a 
partnership  under  the  firm-name 
of  "  Tiffany  &  Young,"  and  thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  present  house  of  Tiffany  &  Co.  The  difficulties  which 
they  encountered  in  finding  a  desirable  location  which 
should  come  within  their  limited  means,  in  running  the 
chances  of  success  without  any  knowledge  of  metropolitan 
business  methods,  in  starting  out  in  the  very  face  of  the 
worst  commercial  depression  in  the  history  of  the  country 
at  that  time  —  these  and  other  obstacles,  which  to  most  men 
would  have  seemed  insurmountable,  were  overcome  by  this 
young  firm  in  a  manner  that  augured  well  for  their  future 
success. 

A  suitable  site  for  their  first  venture  was  finally  found  in 
an  old-fashioned  double  dwelling-house  at  259  Broadway. 
Half  of  the  lower  part  was  already  occupied  by  Mme.  N. 
Scheltema,  a  fashionable  modiste ;  the  other  half,  with  a 
frontage  of  fifteen  feet,  was  obtainable  at  a  moderate  rental; 
the  only  serious  objection  urged  against  the  premises  being 
that  they  were  too  far  up-town.  Marquand  &  Co. ,  the  leading 
jewelers  of  those  days,  were  located  at  181  Broadway,  near 
Cortlandt  Street,  and  within  a  few  blocks  of  them  were  clus- 
tered all  the  jewelers  and  dealers  in  high-class  fancy  articles 
who  had  any  prominence  at  that  time. 


12 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 


House  of  Tiffany  &"  Co.  13 

It  was  A.  T.  Stewart  who  perhaps  unconsciously  turned 
the  balance  in  favor  of  No.  259.  Mr.  Stewart,  already  a 
successful  merchant  of  ten  years'  standing,  had  his  own  store 
next  door  to  Mme.  Scheltema's,  and  belief  in  the  sagacity 
of  the  future  dry-goods  king  led  the  young  men  to  decide 
upon  this  up-town  location.  This  perplexing  question  dis- 
posed of,  there  followed  the  problem  of  how  to  open  busi- 
ness with  a  stock  sufficiently  unique  and  choice  to  attract 
custom  to  a  new  house. 

One  of  Mr.  Tiffany's  most  noted  traits,  and  one  that  has 
distinguished  the  house  in  its  entire  career,  is  an  instinctive 
avoidance  of  beaten  paths.  He  was  ever  devising  original 
methods  and  seeking  unique  objects.  The  store  was  stocked 
with  salable  merchandise.  Choice  and  novel  objects  in  bric- 
a-brac;  Chinese  goods,  then  very  popular;  Japanese /^/zVr- 
mdche  and  terra-cotta  wares ;  umbrellas,  walking-sticks, 
desks,  dressing-cases,  cabinets,  fans,  fine  stationery,  pottery, 
fancy  articles,  and  curiosities  of  every  description, — these 
things  soon  became  marked  features  of  the  store  of  Tiffany 
&  Young. 


T^i^„A.  r>^^\»    i:>       I         The  little  store  was  opened  to  the 

First  Cash-Book.    ^^^^^^  „„  ^^^  ^^^^J^  ^^  s^p^^^. 

ber  18,  1837.  The  total  sales  for  the  first  three  days 
amounted  to  only  $4.98;  with  this  they  opened  their  first 
cash-book.  The  next  day  $2.77  was  added.  But  the  high 
character  of  the  stock  soon  became  generally  known; 
patronage  increased,  and  new  features  were  added.  On  the 
day  preceding  Christmas  of  the  same  year,  the  sales  footed 
up  $236,  and  on  New  Year's  Eve  the  receipts  amounted 
to  $675.  New  Year's  Day,  according  to  old  Knickerbocker 
usage,  was  then  the  approved  occasion  for  the  interchange 
of  gifts,  as  Christmas  is  now. 

The  following  year  marked  a  steady  though  uneventful 
growth  ;  but  on  the  morning  of  January  i,  1839,  the  young 


14  Charles  Z.  Tiffany  and  the 

firm  was  robbed  of  nearly  all  it  possessed.  The  thieves, 
who  carried  away  almost  everything  portable  of  value,  had 
also  evidently  calculated  upon  appropriating  the  largest 
single  week's  receipts  of  the  year;  but  luckily  the  two 
partners  had  taken  the  precaution  to  empty  the  cash-drawer 
and  carry  the  contents  home  with  them. 

Their  loss  amounted  to  nearly  $4000;  but  they  quickly 
recovered  themselves,  and  the  business  continued  to  prosper 
to  such  an  extent  that  early  in  1841  it  was  found  necessary 
to  rent  the  adjoining  corner  store.  No.  260.  This  gave  them 
a  frontage  of  forty-five  feet  on  Broadway  and  a  window  run- 
ning down  on  Warren  street.  With  the  increased  space  at 
their  disposal,  the  scope  of  the  business  was  rapidly  en- 
larged. Bohemian  glassware,  French  and  Dresden  porce- 
lain, cutlery,  clocks,  and  fancy  Parisian  jewelry  were  added 
in  the  order  named. 


T«»iic  ^7  ff    r^n»  The    year    1841    was    in 

Tiffany,  Young  &  Ellis.  ^„,,  l^^^^,^  ^^^^  „„, , 

memorable  one  in  the  history  of  the  young  firm.  The  first 
important  step  during  the  spring  of  the  year  was  the  ad- 
mittance of  another  partner,  Mr.  J.  L.  Ellis ;  the  firm-name 
becoming  "Tiffany,  Young  &  Ellis." 

The  business  had  now  grown  to  such  proportions  that  the 
disadvantages  of  importing  stock  without  a  thorough  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  what  the  European  markets  afforded 
were  daily  growing  more  evident.  After  the  addition  to 
the  firm,  it  was  decided  that  one  of  the  members  should  go 
abroad  in  search  of  novelties  for  their  exclusive  trade.  This 
method  of  Mr.  Tiffany's  for  obtaining  choice  selections  for 
retailing  at  first  hand  was  a  unique  one  fifty  years  ago, 
Mr.  Young  was  selected  to  make  the  trip,  and  being  well 
supplied  with  letters  of  introduction  from  prominent  person- 
ages, he  had  an  entree  to  all  the  leading  European  houses. 


House  of  Tiffany  6^*  Co.  1 5 

He  returned  home  with  the  choicest  examples  of  the  novelties 
to  be  found  abroad. 


ikK       rrK'jfjf  n      nm         •  THIS   year  of  successes 

Mr.  Tiffany's  Marriage.    ^i3„  J^^ed  the  happiest 

turning-point  in  Mr.  Tiffany's  career.  Just  before  the  holi- 
days he  took  another  step  the  wisdom  of  which  has  been 
proved  by  over  fifty  years  of  uninterrupted  domestic  hap- 
piness. On  November  30,  1841,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Harriet  Olivia  Avery  Young,  sister  of  his  partner,  and 
daughter  of  Judge  Ebenezer  Young  of  Killingly,  Connecti- 
cut. This  union  brought  them  six  children.  Four  are 
living  and  reside,  some  in  the  house  of  their  parents,  others 
in  homes  of  their  own,  near  by.  Charles  Lewis,  Jr.,  the  first- 
born, died  at  the  age  of  four,  and  Henry  Charles,  the  third 
child,  died  at  the  age  of  one.  Mr.  Tiffany's  family  now 
consists  of  his  wife,  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  and  children, 
Annie  Olivia  (Mrs.  Alfred  Mitchell),  Louis  Comfort,  Louise 
Harriet,  and  Burnett  Young  Tiffany. 


Manufacture  of  Reverting  to  Mr.  Tiffany's  business 
career,  the  success  of  the  first  jour- 
JCWGiry.  ney  abroad  warranted  annual  visits 
to  the  European  markets,  and  led  to  the  introduction  of 
useful  and  fancy  articles  of  a  higher  order  of  taste,  beauty, 
and  richness  than  had  ever  been  seen  before  in  New- York. 
The  house  had  now  established  for  itself  a  reputation  which 
made  it  the  resort  of  all  who  were  in  search  of  rich  and  costly 
articles  of  luxury.  Shortly  the  cheap  grades  of  jewelry  from 
France,  Hanau  and  Frankfort,  Germany,  gave  way  to  abetter 
quality  of  English  jewelry,  and  this  in  turn  was  followed  by 
Italian  or  Roman  jewelry.     During  this  tin^e  the  mosaic 


i6 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 


^ 


House  of  Tiffajiy  b'  Co.  17 

work  from  Florence  and  Rome,  and  the  finer  jewelry  from 
Paris,  enjoyed  a  period  of  popular  favor  running  over  many- 
years.  Gradually,  however,  American  jewelry  encroached 
upon  the  field  to  such  a  degree  that  when  in  1848  the  firm 
began  the  manufacture  of  gold  jewelry,  it  quickly  became 
one  of  the  rrfost  important  branches  of  their  business. 


No.  271  Broadway,    ^^^""""l  *"  ^'"=<=  °;  .*^  ^''' '™ 

'  •^        years  the  contmued  mcrease  ne- 

cessitated another  removal,  which  took  place  in  1847.  A 
much  larger  and  more  modern  store  was  secured  at  271 
Broadway,  corner  of  Chambers  Street,  and  the  business 
rapidly  expanded  in  every  direction.  Diamond  jewelry, 
watches,  clocks,  silverware,  and  bronzes  became  the  leading 
features  of  a  stock  which  had  how  grown  so  complete  in  arti- 
cles of  luxury  that  the  house  issued  an  annual  catalogue  for 
the  convenience  of  their  patrons. 


The  Revolution  ^^^  political  disturbances  of  1848  in 
-ff  ft  ft  Paris  afforded  many  opportunities  for 
1040,  shrewd  investments.  In  the  panic  that 
followed,  diamonds  declined  about  fifty  per  cent.  Mr.  Tif- 
fany and  his  partner,  Mr.  J.  B.  Young,  A^ere  quick  to  grasp 
the  situation,  and  immediately  decided  to  invest  all  the 
available  resources  of  the  firm  in  these  precious  gems.  Mr. 
Young,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Thomas  Crane  Banks,  who 
conducted  the  jewelry  department  for  the  house,  had  just 
arrived  in  Paris,  prepared  to  make  large  purchases  of  jewelry 
and  European  novelties;  but  instead  of  searching  for  the 
latter,  they  directed  their  whole  attention  and  resources  to 
the  purchase  of  diamonds.  In  spite  of  suffering  arrest  as 
suspects,  and  encountering  numerous  other  unpleasant  ex- 


1 8  Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 

periences  in  the  panic-stricken  city,  they  yet  fulfilled  their 
mission  so  successfully  as  to  raise  the  firm  of  Tiffany,  Young 
&  Ellis  to  the  front  rank  of  diamond  merchants. 


Historic  Qems.   ?"^''  ^f}^'^^  p"^''^  "^  ^Z"  tf 

followed  by  many  others.  Notable 
among  these  were  the  investments  in  historic  gems,  of  which 
Tiffany  &  Co.  have  probably  been  among  the  largest  pur- 
chasers in  the  world. 

Among  the  most  famous  gems  which  passed  into  their 
possession  was  the  zone  of  diamonds  worn  by  the  ill-starred 
Marie  Antoinette.  This  zone  was  bought  by  the  house  in 
Paris  about  forty  years  ago.  At  the  great  sale  of  diamonds 
of  the  famous  Hungarian  Prince  Esterhazy,  some  years 
later,  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  purchases  amounted  to  over  $100,000. 
But  the  largest  investment  ever  made  by  them  in  historic 
gems  was  in  1887.  At  the  sale  of  the  crown  jewels  by  the 
French  government,  Tiffany  &  Co.  purchased  24  lots  of  the 
stones  —  over  one  third  of  the  entire  amount — at  a  cost  of 
2,285,700  francs  (about  $500,000) :  a  larger  amount  than  the 
total  purchases  of  the  nine  next  largest  buyers. 


T^      *     T^  1^       o  In  1850  Mr.  Gideon  F.  T.  Reed, 

Pans  Branch,  1850.     ^^^^^^  „f  Lincoln,   Reed  & 

Co.,  the  leading  jewelers  of  Boston,  was  admitted  into 
partnership.  Immediately  after,  the  first  branch  house 
was  estabhshed  at  79  Rue  Richelieu,  Paris,  Mr.  Reed  be- 
coming the  resident  partner  in  Paris,  where  the  house  was 
conducted  under  the  firm-name  of  Tiffany,  Reed  &  Co. 
This  branch  house  proved  an  invaluable  acquisition  to  the 
firm,  Mr.  Reed's  residence  abroad  enabling  him  to  take 
advantage  of  all  the  fluctuations  in  the  European  markets. 


House  of  Tiffany  ^s'  Co.  19 

Like  the  New-York  house,  the  Paris  branch  developed 
rapidly.  From  the  Uttle  office  in  Rue  Richelieu,  it  re- 
moved to  57  Rue  du  Cardinal  Fesch,  afterward  named 
Rue  de  Chateaudun.  At  the  present  time  it  occupies  very 
spacious  quarters  at  Avenue  de  I'Opera  36  bis.  Since  the 
retirement  of  the  late  Mr.  Reed,  the  foreign  branch  has  been 
continued  under  the  name  of  Tiffany  &  Co.  Americans 
resident  or  traveling  abroad  have  for  many  years  largely 
patronized  the  Paris  house,  and  to-day  the  stock  to  be  seen 
there  includes  the  choicest  features  of  the  Union  Square 
estabhshment. 


_         J.  ^,j  One  of  the  first  innovations  made  by 

Sterling  bllVer.  xififany  &  Co.  was  that  of  using  the 
highest  practical  grade  of  silver  in  all  their  productions. 
Up  to  this  time,  old  Spanish  and  Mexican  coins  contributed 
largely  to  the  supply  of  metal  used ;  but  in  these  coins  there 
was  no  uniformity  of  standard. 

Tiffany  &  Co.  introduced  the  English  standard  of  sterling 
silver — t\nfo  fine.  Their  example  was  immediately  followed 
by  all  the  other  leading  silversmiths  of  that  period,  and  the 
standard,  which  Great  Britain  found  necessary  to  protect 
with  a  ''hall  mark,"  soon  became  established  in  this  coun- 
■^"^^  \xy  upon  the  reputation  of  an  individual  firm.  What  the 
house  has  since  accomplished  in  developing  American  art 
in  metal-work  is  matter  of  history.  At  the  Paris  Expo- 
sition in  1867  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  productions  won  for  Ameri- 
can silverware  the  first  award  of  merit  from  a  foreign  jury, 
and  at  the  International  Expositions  of  1878  and  1889  the  firm 
received  the  Grand  Prix  and  a  special  decoration  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor.  The  honors  bestowed  upon  the  house  at 
the  Centennial  Exhibition  of  1876,  and  the  World's  Co- 
lumbian Exposition  of  1893,  are  touched  upon  elsewhere. 


20 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  aftd  the 


House  of  Tiffany  &'  Co.  21 

Manufacture    of    when  the  late  p.  T.  Bamum  brought 
^ilvAi-w5if^      J^^'^'y  ^^"^^  ^°  ^^'^  country  in  1850, 

famous  singer  was  Tiffany's.  Mr.  Tiffany  recalls  with 
pleasure  the  first  order  he  executed  for  her.  It  was  a 
costly  silver  tankard,  made  for  presentation  to  the  cap- 
tain of  the  ship  which  had  brought  her  over.  This  testi- 
monial—  one  of  the  first  silver  pieces  of  note  made  by  the 
firm  —  was  a  masterpiece  of  ideas  which,  even  in  these  days 
of  advanced  art,  it  would  be  difficult  to  excel.  Its  decora- 
tions were  thoroughly  nautical,  from  the  graceful  handle  — 
a  mermaid  rising  out  of  a  billowy  sea  —  to  the  Triton  emerg- 
ing from  the  cover.  Part  of  the  decoration  on  the  tankard 
represented  a  rainbow,  which  marked  an  incident  of  the  trip 
which  the  famous  singer  desired  to  remember. 

The  improvement  in  the  manufacture  of  silverware,  both 
in  form  and  decoration,  had  by  this  time  (1851)  become 
recognized,  and  with  the  recognition  came  rapidly  increasing 
demands  for  special  presentation  pieces  and  household  arti- 
cles. The  productions  of  John  C.  Moore,  who  made  silver- 
ware for  Marquand  &  Co. ,  and  also  for  their  successors.  Ball, 
Tompkins  &  Black,  were  then  attracting  considerable  atten- 
tion for  their  solidity  and  artistic  conception.  Mr.  Tiffany 
observed  in  the  general  character  of  Mr.  Moore's  work  a 
strength  and  individuality  wholly  different  from  those  of  any 
other  manufacturer.  It  was  the  quality  he  had  always  sought 
for,  and  his  discovery  proved  of  mutual  advantage,  for  an 
arrangement  was  made  with  Mr.  Moore  whereby  the  latter 
was  to  manufacture  solely  for  Tiffany  &  Co. 

Upon  the  retirement  of  the  elder  Mr.  Moore,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  the  late  Edward  C.  Moore,  who  had 
learned  the  trade  in  his  father's  factory.  The  skill  he  had 
acquired  under  the  tuition  of  his  father,  with  the  resources 
of  Tiffany  &  Co.  and  their  rapidly  growing  business,  de- 
veloped the  little  shop  with  its  handful  of  employees  into  an 
industry  of  extraordinary  proportions,  covering  to-day  almost 


Sept.  11,  1858.1 


FRANK   LESLIE'S    ILLUS 


TIFFANY   i    CO.'S   JEWELLERY    STORE.    550    BROADWAY,  NEW    YOllK.    A>    IT    AI'I'L  \!IKI)    IN  THt   ILLLMi- 
.NATION    UliBlNG    IHE  TCLU3BAPU1C  JUBILEE,    SiiMtMiiKK    1,    ISoS. 

of    the     chastest    specimens    of    aro)"'tpoture    '"    TBroadway,    wi=     To-i-.made^lothin?  for  whole 


House  of  Tiffany  &"  Co.  23 

an  entire  block  in  Prince  Street,  and  giving  employment  to 
a  force  of  about  500  men. 


T'-ff  jC»  C  '^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  marked  an- 

linany  OC  CO.,  ^^^^^   important    change    in 

550  Broadway,  the  composition  of  the  firm. 
On  May  i,  Messrs.  J.  B.  Young  and  J.  L.  Ellis  retired,  and 
with  the  admission  of  new  partners  the  business  was  from 
that  day  continued  under  the  present  firm-name  of  Tiffany 
&  Co.  The  change  resulted  in  materially  broadening 
the  scope  of  the  business,  and  the  continued  increase  of 
the  business  made  another  removal  necessary  in  1854.  A 
new  building  was  erected  for  their  accommodation  at  No. 
550  Broadway,  between  Spring  and  Prince  streets.  This 
location  was  then  considered  so  far  above  the  business  ter- 
ritory of  Broadway,  that  many  questioned  the  wisdom  of 
the  change. 

The  firm  took  possession  of  their  new  quarters  on  May  i, 
1854,  and  before  long  the  former  critics  of  Mr.  Tiffany  com- 
mended him  for  his  keen  foresight.  The  firm  remained 
upon  this  site  for  sixteen  years,  the  most  eventful  of  their 
existence,  marked  by  an  immense  growth  in  their  business, 
and  by  many  historic  incidents.  In  1861  they  added  the  ad- 
joining building,  No.  552  Broadway,  which  afforded  facilities 
for  meeting  the  pressure  of  business  incidental  to  the  war,, 
and  otherwise  enlarging  their  field  of  activity. 


Upon  completion  of  the  first  great  At- 
AtlantiC  Cable,  lantic  caWe  m  1858,  Mr.  Tiffany  made 
a  clever  stroke  by  purchasing  the  remaining  cable,  many 
miles  in  all,  and  cutting  it  up  into  souvenirs  of  the  event, 
making  paper-weights,  cane,  umbrella,  and  whip  handles, 
bracelets,  seals  and  other  watch-charms,  festoons,  and  coils 
for  ornamenting  parlors  and  offices.  When  the  articles  were 


24 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 


put  on  sale,  policemen  were  required  to  maintain  order 
among  the  crowds  who  were  eager  to  buy  the  souvenirs. 
The  following  advertisement  from  "Frank  Leslie's  Weekly" 
of  September  ii,  1858,  may  be  of  interest: 


\ 


idlbCEL  %A^EOVS, 


rr\l7T^:sY    &    CO,, 

Ko.  5uO  BsoADwAT,  Xew  Yokk, 

Riiiioimce   tliat   they  ItaT.e  secure  the   eutire   balance 

of  the 

ATLANHG      TELEGRAPH      SUBMARINE      CABLE, 

,  Now  on  bostrfj  the 

U.  S;-StiB*sr  FskaAT3E  Nugarju 

In  order  to  pUc«*  It  witbiQ  the  r«&ch  of  all  classes,  sn<l 
that  ev«ry  fumily  in  th«  tJaUed  States  maj  possess  &  speci 
men  of  this  wbniertal  mechanical  curioaity,  they  propose 
to  cut  t*>e  OiMe  into,  pieces  of:io«r  inches  m  length,  and 
mount  them  aeaSly  wi  h  brass  ferules. 

Each  piece  wilt  be  accompanied  with  a  copyrighted  &C' 
gimile  ceriifica^e  of ;  • 

CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  Esq., 
that  it  is  cut  from  the  genuine  Cable.  Iwenty  miles  of  it 
have  been  actuaily.submeiged  and  takea  up  from  the 
1)0  torn  oi  the  Ocean.  I'hts  »»;il  be  first  sold  in  precisely 
the  cunriitio')  iu  which  the  gieat  Cable  now  Ues  ia  the  bed 
of  the  AtUptic,     • 

Orders  will  bo  received  from  dealers  and  ot£»*»rs  for  not 
l<»h8  than  JW>  p  trcwi  at  a  time,  at  %2h  per  hundred.  Retail 
price,  50  c«-ni«  each.  , 

Each  ordfr  njust  bo  accompanied  by  the  money,  Jn  fucds 
cuTcut  in  New  York,  a^i  ji  will  not  be  possible  to  open  ac- 
count;*. A  rt^gla'ttr  Will  bek«;pt  o!"  the  ordfr.-*  na  they  are 
rec*;i«red,  wbich  will  Ue  liiiea  iu  turii  wiihous  iav'-r  or  par- 
lia.uy. 

A  brpe  p'-rlion  of  the  Bp*ciiD<  ns  vil  Ic  '  ■  i.6jy  it  is  cs- 
pC5  ^>i,  lor  de.iivery  wilbiaa  «<><k. 

NK^v  YoKK,  Ai:g..si  21at,  l«-68.    '  144-116 


^^  E^iiX'S    LAJ>IE£'  .  JUTD   -CHlLBJaEN'S 


1 

? 
coa 


00 


the; 

i 

recf 

1 


?(. 

:?* 

Se 

Se- 


Civil  War,  1861  =  64 


Between  the  period  of  the  first 
Atlantic  Cable  Jubilee  in  1858 
and  the  celebration  in  1866  of  its  final  success,  came  the 
Civil  War.     While  others,  uncertain  as  to  what  attitude  they 


House  of  Tiffany  ^  Co.  25 

should  assume,  were  wavering  in  their  duty,  Mr.  Tiffany's 
patriotism  and  prudence  once  more  asserted  themselves. 
Foreseeing  a  prolonged  struggle,  he  promptly  made  ar- 
rangement with  his  partners  to  devote  the  capital  and 
facilities  of  the  house  to  the  support  of  the  Government. 

He  was  the  first  to  submit  to  the  Quartermaster-General 
a  complete  model  of  the  equipments  of  the  French  army. 
The  elegant  show-rooms  where  the  arts  that  wait  on  peace 
and  plenty  had  formerly  held  full  sway,  were  transformed 
into  a  depot  for  military  supplies. 

Orders  for  all  manner  of  supplies  came  in  from  all  over 
the  country  —  French  rifles,  ambulances  and  army  shoes, 
cavalry,  army  and  navy  swords  and  equipments  of  every 
kind.  Twenty  thousand  badges  were  made  for  the  State 
of  Ohio  alone,  while  non-commissioned  officers'  swords, 
caps,  rifles,  army  shoes,  medals,  and  corps  badges  were 
manufactured  and  shipped  by  thousands.  A  commentary 
upon  the  thoughts  uppermost  in  men's  minds  in  those  days 
of  '61  is  found  in  the  following  gruesome  advertisement 
reproduced  from  the  war  files  of"  Frank  Leslie's  Weekly '* : 


313-3SO  No.  6  MaMe 


To  Army  and  Havy  Officers. 

TIFFANY  &  CO.,  550  and  552  Broadway, 
have  in  store,  and  are  receiving  bv  every 
steamer,  Swords  "  warranted  to  cut  wrought  iron," 
from  Sr>li«j^cn  Passants.  Cap  Ornaments  nnd  other 
l<:rabroideric8  from  Paris-  Grold  Epaulettes  and  Navy 
Laces,  etc.,  from  IrOndon.  Orders  by  mail  promptly 
tilled,  and  Goods  forwarded  to  all  parts  of  be  Loyal 
states.  313- 15o 


t   <5xr^TrxrT>^—     -'  4^ar^,  andj 


During  the  draft  riots  in  1863,  when  the  mob  was  moving 
down  Broadway  and  word  came  that  they  were  intent  upon 
storming  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  store  and  other  business  houses, 


26  Charles  L.  Tiffany  atid  the 

Mr.  Tiffany  barricaded  the  doors  of  his  store,  filled  bombs, 
and  charged  hand-grenades  himself,  and  with  his  employees 
stood  ready  to  defend  the  firm's  property.  Fortunately, 
however,  the  army  of  rioters  did  not  get  beyond  Bleecker 
Street  before  they  were  headed  off  by  the  police. 


.  .    .  Soon    after  the   Atlantic 

Pans  Exposition,  1867.  cable  jubilee  in  1866,  Tif- 
fany &  Co.  again  became  conspicuous, —  this  time  at  the 
Paris  Exposition  of  1867.  They  wisely  made  no  attempt  to 
rival  the  productions  of  old-established  houses  abroad,  or  the 
elaborate  masterpieces  of  European  art,  but  confined  them- 
selves almost  exclusively  to  a  display  of  the  plainer  patterns 
of  domestic  plate.  The  grace  and  beauty  of  these  designs, 
together  with  their  delicacy  of  workmanship  and  solidity 
of  construction,  called  forth  the  encomiums  of  the  Euro- 
pean press,  and  resulted  in  the  house  receiving  the  first 
award  ever  offered  to  a  foreigner.  In  commenting  upon 
the  above,  the  London  "  Spectator"  said:  "  We  confess  we 
were  surprised  and  ashamed  to  find  at  the  Paris  Exposition 
that  a  New- York  firm.  Tiffany  &  Co.,  had  beaten  the  Old 
Country  and  the  Old  World  in  domestic  silver-plate." 

The  reputation  established  by  Tiffany  &  Co.  during  the 
war  for  promptly  executing  great  orders,  as  well  as  the 
laurels  won  at  the  Paris  Exposition  for  the  superiority  of 
their  productions,  gave  the  firm  an  impetus  which  placed 
them  in  the  front  rank  of  the  world's  jewelers.  Their  store, 
already  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind,  was  once  more  inade- 
quate for  their  business. 


The  firm  was  incorporated  as 
lnCOrpOra.tlOn,  loOO.     a  manufacturing  company  un- 
der the  laws  of  the  State  of  New-York  in  1868,  with  Mr. 
Tiffany  as  president   and  treasurer;    Gideon  F.  T.  Reed, 


House  of  Tiffany  ^^  Co.  27 

vice-president;  Charles  T.  Cook,  general  superintendent 
and  assistant  treasurer;  and  George  McClure,  secretary. 
Upon  Mr.  Reed's  retirement  in  1875  from  active  participa- 
tion in  the  management  of  the  business,  Mr.  Charles  T. 
Cook  succeeded  him  as  vice-president. 

Mr.  Cook's  connection  with  the  house  of  which  he  is  now 
the  vice  president  dates  back  to  1848,  and  the  circumstances 
which  led  to  his  employment  were  not  in  any  essential  par- 
ticulars different  from  the  surroundings  that  daily  mark  the 
experiences  of  thousands  of  others  entering  upon  a  business 
career. 

Since  the  incorporation  of  the  business  he  has  shared  with 
Mr.  Tiffany  the  responsibility  of  its  general  management. 
Mr.  Cook's  work  has  brought  him  in  touch  with  most  of 
Tiffany  &  Co.'s  patrons  during  the  last  twenty-five  years; 
and  to  his  executive  abilities,  and  the  judgment  which  he 
exercised,  Mr.  Tiffany  attributes  much  of  the  success  that 
has  come  to  the  house. 

The  incorporation  of  the  house  as  a  manufacturing  com- 
pany was  followed  by  a  general  expansion  of  the  business, 
including  the  manufacture  of  watches,  clocks,  etc.^  The  silver- 
works  in  Prince  Street  were  united  to  the  commercial  depart- 
ment and  considerably  enlarged,  and  then  Mr.  Edward  C. 
Moore  became  a  director  in  the  company  and  manager  of 
its  manufacturing  interest. 


London  Branch,  1868.     ^t  about  the  same  time  a 

branch  house  was  estab- 
lished in  London,  England,  with  an  office  at  29  Argyll 
Street ;  but  soon  more  spacious  quarters  were  needed,  and  a 
removal  was  made  to  5  Argyll  Place.  At  present  the  London 
house  occupies  a  handsome  store  at  221  and  221 A  Regent 
Street,  where  a  large  assortment  of  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  produc- 
tions are  always  kept  in  stock. 

The  establishment  of  the  London  branch  was  followed 


28  Charles  L.  Tiffany  a?id  the 

by  the  construction  of  a  large  plant  for  the  manufacture  of 
watches  in  Geneva.  This  was  the  largest  factory  ever 
erected  in  Switzerland  for  that  purpose.  Arrangements 
were  made  to  unite  the  best  European  skill  with  the  latest 
mechanical  improvements  and  labor-saving  methods  that 
American  ingenuity  could  devise.  It  was  a  unique  experi- 
ment, and  to  it  the  house  directed  the  lavish  resources  and 
energies  at  its  command. 

The  first  Geneva  office  was  established  in  1868  at  7  Rue 
Leverrier,  and  a  salesroom  for  watches,  jewelry,  and  dia- 
monds was  opened  a  few  years  later  at  10  Grand  Quai, 
pending  the  completion  of  their  watch-factory.  This  was 
erected  at  the  Place  Cornavin  —  where  it  still  stands — in 
1872,  but  after  a  thorough  trial  the  conditions  surrounding 
European  labor  were  found  to  be  wholly  inapplicable  to 
American  methods.  Better  results  were  obtainable  by  turn- 
ing both  patterns  and  patents  over  to  a  watch-company  to 
operate  and  manufacture  the  superior  timepieces  required 
by  the  firm. 


.  T     .         >-,  o  As  an  immediate  result  of  the 

Union  Square,  1870.  incorporation,  steps  were  taken 
to  provide  more  adequate  quarters  for  the  business,  which 
had  entirely  outgrown  the  facilities  of  550  and  552  Broadway. 
Upon  the  corner  of  Union  Square  and  15th  Street,  the 
present  site  of  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  establishment,  stood  Dr. 
Cheever's  ivy-covered  "Church  of  the  Puritans,"  which 
during  the  war  became  famous  through  Dr.  Cheever's 
fierce  onslaughts  upon  slavery. 

The  church  had  just  been  vacated,  and  the  property,  with 
a  frontage  of  78  feet  on  Broadway  and  140  feet  on  15th  Street, 
was  offered  to  Tiffany  &  Co.  The  picturesque  Square  and 
other  advantages  led  to  a  quick  decision,  although  the  con- 
ditions of  sale  necessitated  the  purchase  of  the  church  with 
all  its  fittings,  including  organ,  pews,  etc.     Plans  were  im- 


House  of  Tiffany  6^  Co. 


29 


Tiffany  &  Co., 
Union  Square,  New-York. 


30  Charles  L.  Tiffafiy  and  the 

mediately  drawn  for  an  absolutely  fire-proof  building ;  and 
the  present  five-story  structure  was  one  of  the  first  strictly 
fire-proof  buildings  erected  in  the  city. 

The  building  was  completed  late  in  the  fall  of  1870,  and 
on  November  loth  formal  possession  was  taken.  The  old 
Spingler  House  adjoined  the  new  store,  while  all  around 
the  Square  were  mostly  private  residences,  nor  was  a  busi- 
ness house  within  sight  on  West  14th  Street.  It  was  origi- 
nally designed  that  the  second  and  third  floors  should  be 
rented  out;  but  before  desirable  tenants  could  be  found 
the  business  had  increased  so  rapidly  that  the  use  of  the 
entire  three  floors  was  required ;  and  a  few  years  later  a 
large  extension  was  added  on  15  th  Street. 


Departments  and     ^^™  ^^^  removal  to  union 

W7      1     V%  Square,  many   new  departments 

WorKSnOpS.  ^^^^  2.^^^^.  While  at  550-552 
Broadway,  Tiffany  &  Co.  had  gratuitously  stored  many  val- 
uables for  their  patrons;  they  now  portioned  off  half  of 
the  entire  basement  for  a  storage  department  with  burglar- 
proof  vaults.  Every  facility  was  provided  for  the  proper 
care  and  protection  of  family  silverware,  jewels,  heirlooms, 
and  valuables  of  every  description.  As  with  most  of  the 
other  departments,  this  one  has  since  been  twice  enlarged. 
The  first  floor  was  divided  up  between  the  silver,  dia- 
mond, jewelry,  watch,  fancy-goods,  leather-goods,  umbrella, 
stationery,  plated-ware,  watch -repairing,  and  jewelry  and 
silverware  repairing  departments,  with  offices  in  the  rear; 
while  the  entire  second  floor,  with  the  exception  of  a  portion 
in  the  rear,  reserved  for  the  executive  and  bookkeepers' 
offices,  was  devoted  to  the  display  of  art  works  in  bronzes, 
statuary,  bric-a-brac,  clocks,  mantel  sets,  lamps,  curios,  re- 
productions of  ancient  armor,  and  ornamental  objects  for 
home  decoration. 


House  of  Tiffany  b'  Co. 


31 


32  Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 

The  limited  stock  at  the  old  store  of  a  few  choice  pieces 
of  fancy  porcelain  and  glassware  was  now  enlarged  to  a 
special  department  for  high-class  pottery  and  cut  glass. 
This  collection  occupies  the  third  floor,  and  here  every- 
thing in  that  line  required  for  the  proper  furnishing  of  a 
household  could  be  obtained,  while  special  attention  was 
given  to  securing  choice  specimens  of  antique  glass  and 
pottery,  and  examples  of  the  most  beautiful  of  modern 
products  to  be  found  in  the  European  markets. 

The  two  upper  floors  afforded  ample  facilities  for  organ- 
izing new  shops  and  enlarging  the  old  ones.  These  are 
located  at  present  as  follows :  Third  floor  extension,  Watch 
and  Fan  Shops ;  Fourth  floor.  Engraving  and  Art  Depart- 
ment, Stationery,  Printing  and  Stamping,  Silver-polishing, 
and  Clock  Shops;  Fifth  floor,  Jewelry,  Diamond  cutting 
and  polishing,  Case  and  Leather-work  shops. 

Since  the  removal  to  Union  Square,  the  manufacture  of 
electro-silver-plated  ware  has  been  added  to  the  business. 
From  a  small  shop  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  this  branch  of  their 
manufactures  has  so  expanded  that  a  year  ago  a  seven- 
acre  plot  was  purchased  at  Forest  Hill,  a  suburb  of  Newark, 
N.  J.,  and  the  erection  of  a  large  plant  begun,  which  has 
recently  been  completed ;  the  new  works  at  present  occupy 
45,000  square  feet,  and  are  so  designed  that  additional  wings 
and  stories  can  be  added  to  meet  further  requirements. 

The  many  improvements  in  the  processes  of  manufactur- 
ing, both  in  machinery  and  methods,  the  employment  of 
larger  forces  of  skilled  mechanics,  and  other  advantages 
possible  with  the  increased  facihties,  will  afford  this  depart- 
ment opportunities  for  further  expansion  which  it  has  here- 
tofore not  enjoyed. 


House  of  Tiffany  <S^  Co.  33 

,  Reviewing  the  results  of  the 

Review — 1867  =  1893 .  last  quarter  of  a  century's  ac- 
tivity,— from  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1867  to  1893, —  this 
era  of  peace  and  development  shows  a  succession  of  inter- 
national victories  of  great  significance  to  American  industries. 

At  the  Centennial  Exhibition  in  1876,  Tiffany  &  Co.'s 
exhibit  of  the  masterpieces  of  their  art  in  the  various  de- 
partments left  them  virtually  without  competitors.  In  addi- 
tion to  a  gold  medal,  special  recognition  and  certificates 
of  award  were  bestowed  for  the  display  of  jewelry,  jeweled 
watches,  silverware,  silver  inlaid  with  niello  and  copper, 
and  wedding  stationery. 

The  recognition  and  awards  which  Tiffany  &  Co.  received 
at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1867  have  already  been  men- 
tioned, and  the  honors  bestowed  upon  them  at  the  last  two 
Universal  Expositions  held  at  Paris  in  1878  and  1889  are 
of  too  recent  date  to  call  for  any  comment.  In  1878  they  re- 
ceived the  Grand  Prix  for  silverware,  a  gold  medal  for 
jewelry,  and  six  medals  to  colaborers ;  while  Mr.  Tiffany, 
who  attended  the  Exposition,  was  made  the  recipient  of  dis- 
tinguished honors.  He  was  created  a  Chevalier  of  the  Na- 
tional Legion  of  Honor  of  France,  and  from  the  Emperor 
of  Russia  he  received  the  Gold  Medal  Prcemia  Digno  —  an 
exceptional  tribute.  Then  followed  appointments  as  Impe- 
rial and  Royal  Jewelers,  Gold  and  Silversmiths  to  most  of 
the  monarchs  and  dignitaries  of  Europe. 

At  the  Exposition  of  1889  the  Grand  Prix  {qx  silverware 
was  again  awarded  to  the  house.  Mr.  E.  C.  Moore,  the 
late  manager  of  the  works,  was  created  a  Chevalier  and 
decorated  with  the  ribbon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  In  ad- 
dition to  this,  sixteen  other  medals  were  awarded  to  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  house  :  gold  medals  respectively  for  jewelry, 
precious  stones  of  North  America,  leather-work,  ivory 
carved  and  mounted,  copperplate  engraving  and  printing; 
silver  and  bronze  medals  respectively  for  glassware  and 
clocks;    and  ten  medals  to  colaborers. 

3A 


34 


Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 


The  Tiffany  Pavilion, 
World's  Columbian  Exposition. 


House  of  Tiffany  6^  Co.  35 

Cnliimhi^n  '^^^  exhibit  made  by  Tiffany  &  Co.  at 

_,  .    .  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  of 

tlXpOSlLlOn.  jg^2  is  of  too  recent  occurrence  to  com- 
ment upon  at  length.  The  testimonials,  however,  from  the 
thousands  of  daily  visitors,  the  almost  unlimited  generous 
comments  of  the  press,  and  the  valued  technical  reviews  by 
art  writers  at  home  and  abroad,  have  all  been  so  over- 
whelming that  the  house  accepts  them  not  in  the  spirit  of  a 
personal  compliment,  but  as  a  graceful  tribute  to  the  de- 
velopment of  art  metal-work  in  this  country.  The  views  and 
opinion  of  so  eminent  an  authority  as  the  London  "Art 
Journal "  are  of  interest  in  this  connection.  After  reviewing 
the  Tiffany  Exhibit,  the  writer  says  in  the  October  number : 
"Passing  to  the  exhibit  of  Messrs.  Tiffany  &  Co.,  of  New 
York,  one  finds  a  display  more  varied  in  expression  and  ori- 
ginal in  design,  more  distinctive  and  individual,  than  the 
work  of  any  other  firm  in  the  Art  metal  group.  And  above 
all  we  must  note  the  distinctively  American  characteristics 
of  many  of  the  exhibits  here. 

"Judging  by  the  productions  exhibited,  one  may  well  be 
in  doubt  whether  our  much-boasted  European-  preeminence 
in  these  things  is  to  last  much  longer,  and  whether,  after 
all,  we  shall  not  in  the  near  future  be  compelled  to  regard 
the  firms  of  New  York  as  at  least  our  equals,  if  not  our  supe- 
riors, in  the  production  of  high -class  gold  and  silver  work." 
Up  to  the  hour  of  going  to  press  Tiffany  &  Co.  have  re- 
ceived fifty-five  awards  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion ;  but  while  these  many  additional  honors  are  appreciated, 
they  mean  but  little  compared  with  that  calm  verdict  of  pub- 
lic approval  so  generously  given.  It  is  this  compliment  for 
which  Tiffany  &  Co.  are  grateful,  and  their  feeling  of  ap- 
preciation finds  constant  expression  in  their  aim  to  excel  the 
past,  and  to  retain  by  real  merit  the  approval  of  the  public. 


War  Testimonials.    ^^^  products  of  Tiffany  &  co.'s 

workshops  that  could  be  classed 
under  this  heading  are  so  numerous  that  only  those  asso- 
ciated with  historic  incidents  or  of  general  interest  are 
mentioned  below: 

General  Schuyler  Hamilton,  U.  S.  A.  Sword  presented 
by  his  fellow-citizens  of  New-York  in  recognition  of  his  ser- 
vices in  the  Mexican  War,  1848. 

Dr.  E.  K.  Kane  and  Commander  H.  S.  Hartstein,  Arctic  ex- 
plorers, 1858.  Gold  medals  presented  by  the  State  of  New- 
York  in  recognition  of  their  services  to  the  world  in  Arctic  dis- 
coveries, and  their  gallant  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin.  The 
medals  cost  $1000  and  $500  respectively,  the  former  weigh- 
ing 14  ounces,  and  the  latter  6  ounces,  of  pure  gold. 

Before  the  close  of  the  war,  and  for  some  time  after,  the 
facilities  of  Tiffany  &  Co.  were  taxed  to  their  utmost  with 
orders  for  testimonials  of  every  description  for  presentation 
to  the  heroes  of  the  battle-fields;  hundreds  of  richly  mounted 
testimonial  swords  were  made,  many  of  them  set  with  pre- 
cious stones  and  costing  from  $500  to  $10,000. 

Perhaps  the  most  notable  of  these  was  the  sword  pre- 
sented by  Tiffany  &  Co.  to  the  great  Sanitary  Fair  held  in 
New-York  City  in  1864,  and  voted  to  General  U.  S.  Grant. 
The  scabbard  was  of  gold,  and  richly  studded  with  rubies, 
diamonds,  and  sapphires,  representing  the  national  colors. 
36 


House  of  Tiffany  ^^  Co.  37 

General  G.  B.  McClellan   was   a  close   competitor.     The 

votes  were  sold  at  $1.00  each,  and  the  sword  realized  nearly 

$100,000. 

Among  other  presentation  swords  and  testimonials  of  note 

made  by  Tiffany  &  Co.,  were  the  following: 

Sword  presented  to  General  W.  T.  Sherman  after  the  Bat- 
tle of  Shiloh,  1862. 

Sword  presented  to  General  J.  C.  Fremont,  the  ''Path- 
finder of  the  West,"  1862. 

Sword  presented  to  Major-General  H.  W.  Halleck  by  the 
ladies  of  St.  Louis,  1862. 

Sword  presented  to  Major-General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside 
by  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  1862. 

Sword  presented  to  Brigadier-General  J.  J.  Stevens  by  the 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  of  the  79th  High- 
land Guard,  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  at  Beaufort,  S.  C.,  1862. 

Sword  presented  to  Colonel  Rush  C.  Hawkins,  of  the  Haw- 
kins Zouaves,  by  his  fellow-citizens  of  New-York,  1863. 

Sword  presented  to  Captain  Percival  Drayton,  U.  S.  N.,  by 
his  fellow-citizens  of  New-York,  1863. 

Sword  presented  to  Brigadier-General  T.  E.  _G.  Ransom 
by  the  officers  of  his  brigade,  1863. 

Sword  presented  to  Admiral  David  G.  Farragut,  U.  S.  N.,  by 
his  friends  in  the  Union  League  Club  of  New- York,  1864. 

Set  of  silver  tankard  pitchers  and  goblets,  eleven  pieces, 
presented  to  Colonel  Abram  Duryee,  7th  Regiment,  by 
the  merchants  of  New- York,  i860. 

Trumpet  presented  to  Captain  H.  H.  Eldridge,  of  the 
steamer  "Atlantic,"  by  the  3d  New  Hampshire  Volun- 
teers at  Port  Royal,  1862. 

Medals  struck  to  commemorate  the  battle  of  the  "'  Monitor" 
and  the  "Merrimac,"  1862. 

Medal  presented  to  General  George  H.  Thomas  by  the 
State  of  Tennessee,  1865.  It  bore  his  famous  words,  "I 
will  hold  the  town  till  we  starve. " 

Inkstand  presented  to  President  Abraham  Lincoln  by  Charles 
D.  Poston,  Esq.,  1865. 


38  Charles  Z.  Tiffany  and  the 

Other  Presentation    marriage    of    General    Tom 

P^,  Thumb  and  Lavinia  Warren 

Pieces.  a|.  Grace  Church,  New-York, 

February  10,  1863.     Silver  chariot  presented  by  Tiffany 

&  Co. 

Atlantic  Cable  completion.  Testimonials  presented  to  Cyrus 
W.  Field,  1 866: 

Gold  medal  presented  by  the  Government. 
Gold  box  presented  by  Mayor  Tillman,  1858. 
Silver  Epergne  presented  by  the  Directors  of  the  New-York, 
Newfoundland,  and  London  Telegraph  Company,  1873. 

Thomas  Nast,  Esq.  Silver  vase  presented  by  members  of 
the  Union  League  Club,  New-York,  1869. 

Arbitrators  of  the  "Alabama"  Claims,  1873, —  Count  Frede- 
ric Sclopis,  Viscomte  A'ltajuba,  Mr.  J.  Staempfli.  Silv,er 
services  presented  by  the  United  States  Government, 
each  set  consisting  of  centerpiece,  two  jardinieres,  and  a 
pair  of  candelabra. 

Survivors  of  the  "  Ville  du  Havre  "  disaster,  November  22, 
1873.  Silver  tea-service  presented  by  them  to  Captain 
Urquhart,  of  the  ''Trimountain,"  who  rescued  them  from 
the  sinking  ''Loch  Earn." 

Bryant  Vase,  1876.  Silver  testimonial  presented  to  William 
CuUen  Bryant  by  his  friends  in  commemoration  of  his 
eightieth  birthday.  [This  vase,  which  was  designed  by 
Mr.  James  H.  Whitehouse,  and  selected  after  an  open 
competition,  was  universally  pronounced  to  be  the  most 
artistic  and  notable  production  of  our  time.] 

August  Bartholdi,  1886.  Silver  Centerpiece,  ''Liberty  En- 
lightening the  World,"  testimonial  from  121,000  Ameri- 
cans, through  the  New- York  "World." 

Charleston,  S.  C,  1887.  Memorial  Tablet  presented  by  the 
City  of  Charleston  to  the  Executive  Relief  Committee  for 
unparalleled  services  after  the  earthquake  of  1886. 

William  Ewart  Gladstone.  Silver  Centerpiece  testimonial 
from  American  admirers  in  recognition  of  his  efforts  to 
secure  Home  Rule  for  Ireland,  1887. 


House  of  Tiffany  &'  Co.  39 

Sword  presented  to  General  Nelson  A.  Miles  by  the  people 
of  Arizona,  1887. 

The  yachting  trophies  made  for  most  of  the  International 
and  Annual  Yacht  Club  regattas  held  within  forty  years, 
numerous  rifle  prizes,  pigeon-shooting  cups,  racing  cups, 
and  prizes  of  every  description,  cannot  be  enumerated 
here.  A  few  of  the  most  recent  of  the  above  were  shown 
in  the  Loan  Collection  of  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  exhibit  at  the 
World's  Columbian  Exposition,  Chicago,  1893. 


Appointments  to 

Royal  Courts,  etc 


Messrs.  Tiffany  &  Co. 
have  been  appointed  Im- 
perial and  Royal  Jewel- 
ers, Gold  and  Silversmiths  to  the  following  monarchs 
and  dignitaries  of  Europe  : 


Her  Most  Gracious  Majesty  The  Queen  of  England. 
His  Royal  Highness  The  Prince  of  Wales. 
Her  Royal  Highness  The  Princess  of  Wales. 
His  Royal  Highness  The  Duke  of  Edinburgh. 
His  Imperial  Majesty  The  Emperor  of  Russia. 
Her  Imperial  Majesty  The  Empress  of  Russia. 
His  Imperial  Highness  The  Grand  Duke  Vladimir. 
His  Royal  Highness  The  Grand  Duke  Alexis. 
His  Imperial  Highness  The  Grand  Duke  Paul. 
His  Royal  Highness  The  Grand  Duke  Sergius. 
His  Imperial  Majesty  The  Emperor  of  Austria. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Prussia. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  the  Belgians. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Italy. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Denmark. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Greece. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Spain. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Portugal. 
His  Majesty  The  King  of  Roumania. 


40  Charles  L.  Tiffany  and  the 

His  Imperial  Majesty  The  Emperor  of  Brazil. 
His  Majesty  The  Khedive  of  Egypt. 
His  Imperial  Majesty  The  Shah  of  Persia. 
Her  Royal  Highness  The  Infanta  Doiia  Eulaha. 


it/f      rr^''^£^  «     i-fc  %^A          The  story  of  the  house 

Mr.  Tiffany's  Personality,  of  Tiffany  &  co.  has 

been  briefly  told,  and  the  life  of  Charles  L.  Tiffany  dwelt 
upon  as  identified  with  the  business  which  he  founded.  His 
name  is  inseparably  associated  with  every  stage  of  the  devel- 
opment of  the  house.  But  he  has  always  frankly  recognized 
and  commended  the  services  of  his  associates  and  colaborers, 
and  he  never  speaks  of  his  business  career  without  feelingly 
referring  to  all  those  whose  indefatigable  labors  in  the  various 
branches  of  the  business  and  departments  of  its  manufac- 
tures have  contributed  so  much  to  Tiffany  &  Co.'s  success. 
A  sense  of  delicacy,  however,  forbids  much  that  might 
be  said  touching  his  personality — the  qualities  that  com- 
mand the  respect  of  the  community  and  the  good  will  of 
the  world — that  make  lifelong  friends  of  acquaintances — 
and  retain  employees  from  the  end  of  their  school-days  to 
the  end  of  their  lives. 

This  side  of  Mr.  Tiffany's  life  is  yet  to  be  told,  and  that 
the  time  may  yet  be  far  distant  is  the  sincere  wish  of  the 
thousand  and  more  in  his  employ,  his  hundreds  of  friends 
scattered  throughout  the  land,  and  the  many  thousands 
more  who  know  him  only  by  his  deeds. 

As  a  representative  business  man  Mr.  Tiffany  has  been 
honored  with  many  positions  of  trust  in  the  metropolis,  and 
few  philanthropic  or  other  public  movements  have  origi- 
nated in  the  city  without  his  aid  and  support.  He  is  a 
liberal  patron  of  Art,  and  in  its  advancement  in  America  has 
shown  the  keenest  interest. 


House  of  Tiffajty  b'  Co.  41 

Among  the  public  institutions,  societies,  and  other  asso- 
ciations with  which  Mr.  Tiffany  is  identified  are  the  fol- 
lowing: 

A  Founder  of  the  New  -York  Society  of  Fine  Arts. 

A  Founder  of  the  Union  League  Club  of  New-York. 

Trustee  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 

A  Founder  of  the  Restigouche  Salmon  Club  of  Matape- 

dia,  Canada. 
Trustee  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fellow  of  the  Geographical  Society. 
Fellow  of  the  National  Academy  of  Design. 
Director  of  the  Bank  of  the  Metropolis. 
Director  of  the  Pacific  Bank. 
Director  of  the  American  Surety  Co. 
Director  of  the  State  Trust  Co. 
Member  of  the  New-York  Historical  Society. 
Member  of  the  American  Protective  Tariff  League. 
Member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Member  of  the  Union  Club. 
Member  of  the  New-York  Club. 
Member  of  the  New- York  Jockey  Club. 
Member  of  the  South  Side  Sportsmen's  Club  of  Long 

Island. 
Member  of  the  West  Island  Club  of  Rhode  Island. 
Member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  ;  and 

a  life-member   of  many  charitable  and  philanthropic 

organizations. 


House  of  Tiffany  6^  Co.  43 


Directors. 

The  directors  of  the  house  of  Tiffany  &^  Co.  at  present  are  : 
Charles  L.  Tiffany,  President  and  Treasurer. 
Charles  T.  Cook,  Vice-President  and  Assistant  Treasurer. 
Paulding  Farnham,  Secretary. 

Trustees  : 
Charles  L.  Tiffany.  Charles  T.  Cook. 

Louis  C.  Tiffany.  Paulding  Farnham. 

John  C.  Moore.  Alfred  Mitchell. 

Manager  of  the  Paris  Branch: 
Charles  M.  Moore. 


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